This week, members of the State Board of Education (SBOE) gathered in Austin to hold a series of meetings over Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, which ATPE’s lobbyists have been attending. View the full SBOE agenda and additional information about this week’s meetings here.

To kick things off, the board on Wednesday discussed the Texas Resource Review (TRR) process, formerly known as the Instructional Materials Quality Evaluation (IMQE). Acting as a rubric for instructional materials for English Language Arts and Reading (ELAR) in grades 3-8, the TRR will serve as a type of “consumer reports” resources for school districts and educators looking for quality instructional materials. Read a full recap of Wednesday’s board meeting in this blog post from ATPE Lobbyist Mark Wiggins.

Other topics of discussion during this week’s meetings of the board and its committees include a new procedure for nominating members to the School Land Board (SLB), the ed prep assessment pilot known as “EdTPA,” and the Generation 25 charter application that would establish charters with new operators as opposed to letting existing charter holders expand their operations. ATPE’s Wiggins has more on the discussion of these items in this blog post from Thursday.

The board will wrap up its September meetings today. The full board’s agenda for today includes hearing from Commissioner of Education Mike Morath. Read more about his remarks at today’s SBOE meeting, which covered accountability and new reading academy requirements, in this Teach the Vote blog post from ATPE Lobbyist Andrea Chevalier.

The board also took time today to recognize outgoing chair Donna Bahorich for her leadership with an honorary resolution. This will be the last meeting over which Bahorich will preside, pending the governor’s naming of a new chair for the SBOE.

Related: Commissioner Mike Morath also visited the ATPE Board of Directors meeting in Pflugerville on Sept. 7, 2019. The commissioner updated the board on accountability ratings, discussed the issue of merit pay, and more.

This year’s legislative session saw a slew of bills relating to assessments, from their administration and content to their duration and much more. For an in-depth look at which laws from the 86th session will affect things like end-of-course exams, individual graduation committees (IGCs), and the length of standardized state assessments, check out this week’s blog post by ATPE Lobbyist Andrea Chevalier. On Monday, we’ll have a another new post for our ongoing “New School Year, New Laws” weekly series here on Teach the Vote. You can also learn more about many new laws affecting educators in this comprehensive digital guide compiled by ATPE’s legal staff.

The latest iteration of “HB 3 in 30,” the Texas Education Agency’s weekly video series that breaks down the signature education bill of the 86th session, focuses on reading practices. Click here to watch the most recent video and access all the prior videos in the HB 3 in 30 series.

It was announced this week that Harrison Keller will become the new Commissioner of Higher Education, following the recent retirement of Commissioner Raymund Peredes. The announcement came Wednesday after a unanimous vote by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB). Keller, who assumes the post on Oct. 1, has worked for the University of Texas and was a longtime education policy adviser to a former Texas Speaker of the House, Rep. Tom Craddick (R-Midland).

ELECTION UPDATE: Yet another big retirement announcement came today with Sen. José Rodriguez (D-El Paso) announcing that he will not seek re-election. An attorney, Sen. Rodriguez has described himself as the first member of his family to attend college. He was first elected to the Senate District 29 seat in 2010 and has also chaired the Senate Democratic Caucus.

Early voting for the upcoming November election begins on Oct. 21, just five weeks from now. For more information about what’s going to be on the ballot, check out our previous Teach the Vote blog posts on proposed constitutional amendments and some special elections that will be taking place on the same day. You can also use the resources provided by the Texas Educators Vote coalition to help ensure you are ready to vote. The deadline to register to vote for the November 5 election is Oct. 7, 2019.

Today, Texas Commissioner of Education Mike Morath addressed the State Board of Education (SBOE) during its third and final day of meetings this week. The Commissioner’s presentation began with changes that K-3 teachers will soon see regarding reading academies.

As required by House Bill (HB) 3 by Rep. Huberty (R-Kingwood), all teachers and principals of students in grades K-3 must have attended a “literacy achievement academy” by the 2021-22 school year. Based on recent “To the Administrator Addressed” (TAA) correspondence on reading academies, the Texas Education Agency’s latest “HB 3 in 30” video on reading practices, and the commissioner’s presentation to the SBOE today, it seems that the terms “reading academy” and “literacy academy” are being used interchangeably.

The commissioner explained today that, because this requirement will impact over 120,000 educators, the structure of reading academies will have to change. Current reading academies are essentially a year-long fellowship that include a 5-day summer workshop, three two-day professional development sessions, a three-day workshop after the school year, and continuous embedded coaching throughout the school year. A new blended (online modules) reading academy structure will be added that will have fewer days of professional development and coaching. Additionally, a new function will allow some educators to “test out” of the reading academy, and districts will be able to offer their own modified version of the reading academy. Commissioner Morath stated that this will reduce or eliminate the increased cost associated with this new mandate under HB 3.

At today’s meeting, the commissioner also addressed the 2019 accountability ratings, demonstrated the use of the txschools.gov accountability website, and showed SBOE members a new TEKS guide website. He announced that the advisory committees for HB 3 and HB 3906 will be posted this month (September). Lastly, Commissioner Morath informed the board that the STAAR readability study also included in HB 3 will be conducted with the assistance of the University of Texas at Austin and is due December 1, 2019.

Be sure to read ATPE’s blog series “New School Year, New Laws” every Monday for updates on new laws impacting education, including HB 3. Also, check out the great new resource that ATPE’s legal staff has created to advise educators on new laws: “Know the Law: An Educator’s Guide to Changes Enacted by the 86th Texas Legislature.” Download your copy of the guide here.

The Texas State Board of Education (SBOE) members met Thursday in their respective committees to discuss a number of items of interest to educators. The Committee on School Initiatives began with a discussion of a new educator preparation pilot program called “EdTPA.” This two-year pilot program was discussed at length by the State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC) and aims to increase rigor, although the final examination comes with a higher price tag. Members of the committee had several questions regarding the structure of the program and challenges unique to the EdTPA system.

Members then heard updates on the Generation 25 charter application, which is the process by which applicants may apply to the Texas Education Agency (TEA) for a new charter. It’s important to note that this application is not needed for existing charters to expand the number of schools under operation. The application is to establish new charter operators, which may plan to operate multiple schools and may expand in the future.

Member Matt Robinson (R-Friendswood) expressed concern over the number and quality of new charters expanding across the state, and in particular a lack of transparency in the process. Member Ruben Cortez (D-Brownsville) expressed disappointment that suggestions from board members to improve the application have yet to be incorporated into the new application. Members secured a commitment from TEA staff to consider a list of recommendations provided by a group of public education organizations, including ATPE, and report back to the board.

Member Georgina Perez (D-El Paso) questioned TEA staff at length over requirements that charter applicants notify the communities within which they intend to open a new charter school, as well as the requirements for a charter to expand its geographical boundary to beyond what was set forth in its initial application. Much of the criticism around charter schools has concentrated on the lack of public input on proposed new charters as a result of minimal notification requirements, as well as few checks on the ability of charter school organizations to expand far beyond their initial size.

The board will conclude its September meeting Friday with an update from TEA Commissioner Mike Morath.

The Texas State Board of Education (SBOE) met Wednesday in Austin for its three-day September meeting. Although her term as board chair concluded with the board’s June meeting, Member Donna Bahorich (R-Houston) presided over the board Wednesday as Gov. Greg Abbott has yet to announce her successor.

The board began with a discussion of a new process for Instructional Materials Quality Evaluation (IMQE), including recommendations for a commissioner rule from an ad hoc committee on the subject. The process is now called Texas Resource Review (TRR). Member Georgina Perez (D-El Paso) suggested that the process is still subjective, and Texas Education Agency (TEA) staff indicated that the process was the result of feedback from 30 pilot districts. Member Marty Rowley (R-Amarillo) posed a number of questions to TEA staff clarifying the potential legal ramifications of changes to the current process. Member Barbara Cargill (R-The Woodlands) expressed a desire to prevent the TRR from competing with or interfering with the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) review process. After lengthy discussion, the board adopted a new board operating procedure barring an individual board member from nominating instructional materials to the TRR without a majority vote of the board endorsing the nomination.

The board also discussed the procedure for nominating members to serve on the School Land Board (SLB), which oversees a portion of the Permanent School Fund (PSF) overseen by the General Land Office (GLO). Legislation passed by the 86th Texas Legislature expanded the SLB to five members from three and allowed the SBOE to nominate candidates to serve in two of the five places. The governor will select the two members from among six candidates the SBOE nominates. The board’s Committee on School Finance/Permanent School Fund will recommend the six nominees from a list of 30, comprised of two nominees provided by each of the board’s 15 members. The full board will vote to approve the final six.

The SBOE and SLB must also meet jointly once per year as a result of legislation passed in 2019. Members voted to hold the first joint meeting during the SBOE’s scheduled meeting in April 2020. All following meetings will be held during the SBOE’s scheduled November meeting.

]]>https://www.teachthevote.org/news/2019/09/11/sboe-in-austin-for-september-meeting/feed/0New School Year, New Laws: Assessmenthttps://www.teachthevote.org/news/2019/09/09/new-school-year-new-laws-assessment/
https://www.teachthevote.org/news/2019/09/09/new-school-year-new-laws-assessment/#commentsMon, 09 Sep 2019 11:00:14 +0000https://www.teachthevote.org/news/?p=21160In last week’s “New School Year, New Laws” blog series penned by the ATPE lobby team, we discussed several bills passed during the recent 86th Legislative session that will impact curriculum and instruction. This week, the ATPE lobby team will address legislative changes adopted this year that pertain to how the state evaluates teaching and learning through assessment.

HB 1244 alters the U.S. History end-of-course (EOC) exam by requiring that it include 10 questions randomly selected by the Texas Education Agency (TEA) and pulled from the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services civics test. This is the test that is used during the naturalization process. Does this mean there will be new curriculum standards (TEKS) for U.S. History? No, the bill specifies that TEA must ensure that the questions on the new exam will be aligned with the existing TEKS. Additionally, TEA will be required to issue an annual report that provides the questions, answers, and student performance regarding the 10 civics questions. Student performance data included in the report will be disaggregated by district and campus. HB 1244 applies beginning with students who enter the ninth grade during the 2019-20 school year.

HB 3906 makes several test-related changes that are effective with the 2019-20 school year. First, with regard to mathematics assessments: the State Board of Education (SBOE) will determine the sections of the grades 3-8 mathematics assessments on which students can use technology aids. TEA can now prohibit the use of technology on certain parts of the Algebra I assessment. Additionally, students can now use a calculator application on a “computing device” (computer) in place of a graphing calculator.

With regard to how TEA designs assessments, the target time it should take a student to complete a distinct “part” of the test was shortened. For grades three and four, the test should be designed so that 85% of students can complete the part within 60 minutes (previously 120 minutes). For grades five through eight, 85% of students should be able to complete the part within 75 minutes (previously 180 minutes). Lastly, assessments and end-of-course exams can now be split into multiple parts administered over more than one day, and the tests may not be administered on the first instructional day of the week (typically Monday).

Also effective immediately, TEA is required to establish an integrated formative assessment pilot program. Districts can opt into the pilot program, which will be used to determine if formative assessments improve instructional support and if they could potentially replace current assessments. TEA will also begin creating a transition plan for the eventual electronic administration of assessments, develop electronic interim assessments for districts to use, and create both technical and educator assessment advisory committees to provide recommendations to the commissioner and TEA on assessment development.

Some provisions in HB 3906 will roll out in the coming years. The bill eliminates the STAAR writing tests given in grades 4 and 7, which will take effect on Sept. 1, 2021. Under federal law, states are required to teach and assess “reading or language arts.” Texas does assess reading and will continue to do so under HB 3906. Also, by the 2022-23 school year, the amount of multiple choice questions on assessments will be limited to 75% and assessments will be administered electronically pursuant to this bill.

Individual graduation committees allow a student to graduate in the event that they have completed all curricular requirements but have not passed their EOCs, even with a re-test opportunity. Students complete remediation and a project or portfolio to demonstrate proficiency in the course. Ultimately, the committee considers a variety of factors before making a decision on whether the student can graduate. The committees first came into existence with the enactment of a 2015 bill also carried by Sen. Seliger, but the law permitting the use of the committees was scheduled to expire. This year’s SB 213 extends the use of individual graduation committees for another four years, until 2023. This bill took effect immediately upon its passage.

HB 3 by Rep. Dan Huberty(R-Kingwood): Test-related provisions in the school finance and reform bill

Earlier this year, a New York Times article and other media reports cited multiple studies indicating that State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) tests were written above grade level. Spurred by consternation over such media reports, Chairman Huberty included in his HB 3 language that calls for an “assessment instrument study.” This requires TEA to work with a public institution of higher education to determine if each STAAR test is written at the appropriate grade level. Texas Commissioner of Education Mike Morath is required to submit a report on the findings of this study by Dec. 1 of this year.

The outcomes-based funding mechanism in HB 3 that relies on indicators of college, career, and military readiness will include performance on assessments such as the SAT, ACT, and the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB). HB 3 also includes district reimbursement for the administration of certain college prep assessments. Finally, HB 3 requires districts to create an early childhood literacy and mathematics proficiency plan, which would include annual, quantifiable goals for student performance in reading and math.

If you’d like to learn even more about how these and other legislative changes may affect you and your classroom, we encourage you to check out ATPE’s brand new publication, “An Educator’s Guide to Changes Enacted by the 86th Texas Legislature.” This digital guide compiled by ATPE’s legal staff aims to help educators become aware of new laws affecting instruction, compensation, student discipline, and much more. Access the comprehensive guide here. Next Monday, visit ATPE’s Teach the Vote blog once again for more highlights from this year’s legislative session when we’ll be featuring new bills that impact special education in Texas.

In the wake of the tragic shootings in El Paso and Odessa, Gov. Greg Abbott has issued executive orders addressing public safety. While most of the orders focus on improving agency-level responses like developing standardized intake questions and guidelines on when to submit Suspicious Activity Reports, executive orders number five and six deal directly with schools. The orders are as follows:

Order No. 5 The Department of Public Safety shall work with the Texas Education Agency and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board on ways to better inform schools, students, staff, and families about the importance of Suspicious Activity Reports and how to initiate that process.

Order No. 6 The Department of Public Safety shall work with local law enforcement, mental-health professionals, school districts, and others to create multidisciplinary threat assessment teams for each of its regions, and when appropriate shall coordinate with federal partners.

Learn more about the executive orders in this blog post by ATPE Lobbyist Andrea Chevalier.

Earlier this week U.S. Rep. Bill Flores (R-TX 17) announced that he would not be seeking re-election in 2020. This season has seen the announcement of a number of departures from Capitol Hill as well as many campaign launches. The special elections to fill the seats vacated by Rep. John Zerwas (R-Richmond), Rep. Jessica Farrar (D-Houston), and Rep. Eric Johnson (D-Dallas) have been set to coincide with voting on the constitutional amendments on Nov. 5th. The deadline to register to vote in the Nov. 5th election is Oct. 7. For more on the races in the upcoming election check out this blog post by ATPE Lobbyist Mark Wiggins.

Curriculum and instruction is the subject of this week’s installment of ATPE’s blog series, “New School Year, New Laws.” This blog post examines bills such as House Bill 4310 by Rep. Harold Dutton (D-Houston) which stipulates that sufficient time be given for students to learn the scope and sequence of TEKS (Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills); and parts of House Bill 3 that provide funding for gifted and talented programs. For the full list of laws visit this blog post by ATPE Lobbyist Andrea Chevalier.

The latest edition of the Texas Education Agency’s weekly video series, “HB 3 in 30,” covers special education and dyslexia. You can find a link to this week’s video and all previous videos here.

The Teacher Retirement System (TRS) has announced a time frame for retirees to receive their 13th check. According to the TRS.Texas.gov website, retirees will receive their 13th check on or around Sept. 15, 2019. A list of frequently asked questions about the check can be found here. More of Teach the Vote’s coverage of Senate Bill 12 (the bill responsible for the 13th check) can be found in this blog post by ATPE Senior Lobbyist Monty Exter..

The big news so far this week has been U.S. Rep. Bill Flores (R-TX 17) announcing his retirement and intention not to run for reelection in 2020. Flores defeated longtime Waco Democrat Rep. Chet Edwards in the Republican wave election of 2010. Flores won reelection in 2018 by nearly 16 percentage points, and U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz beat Democratic challenger Beto O’Rourke by just over nine points in the district.

The field of candidates in three special elections scheduled for Nov. 5 has been set. After the close of the filing deadline, a total of 26 candidates had declared campaigns to succeed state Reps. John Zerwas (R-Richmond), Jessica Farrar (D-Houston), and Eric Johnson (D-Dallas). The most competitive race will be for the seat being vacated by Rep. Zerwas in House District (HD) 28, which both Zerwas and Cruz won by single-digit margins in 2018. One Democrat and six Republicans have filed for the seat. The full list of candidates in this fall’s special elections can be found in this post by the Texas Tribune.

The 2020 elections pose a major test of the resolve of educators to hold their elected representatives to account for legislation passed and legislation promised. Things like school funding and educator pay will almost certainly be on the chopping block when the Texas Legislature returns in 2021, which makes your votes all the more important. If you are not yet registered to vote in Texas, the deadline to do so in time for this November’s elections is October 7. If you’re not yet registered or unsure what to do, just follow this link to the Texas Educators Vote coalition website.

]]>https://www.teachthevote.org/news/2019/09/05/texas-election-roundup-another-big-retirement/feed/0Breaking news: Gov. Abbott issues executive orders in response to shootingshttps://www.teachthevote.org/news/2019/09/05/breaking-news-gov-abbott-issues-executive-orders-in-response-to-shootings/
https://www.teachthevote.org/news/2019/09/05/breaking-news-gov-abbott-issues-executive-orders-in-response-to-shootings/#respondThu, 05 Sep 2019 17:39:37 +0000https://www.teachthevote.org/news/?p=21215In response to the recent El Paso and Odessa shootings, Gov. Greg Abbott today issued eight executive orders aimed at addressing public safety regarding gun violence. The executive orders are focused on tightening the alignment between reporting suspicious behavior and the actions taken by law enforcement officials in response to potential threats. Executive orders numbers five and six are likely to have the most impact on schools.

Order No. 1 Within thirty days of this order, the Texas Department of Public Safety shall develop standardized intake questions that can be used by all Texas law-enforcement agencies to better identify whether a person calling the agency has information that should be reported to the Texas Suspicious Activity Reporting Network.

Order No. 2 Within thirty days of this order, the Department of Public Safety shall develop clear guidance, based on the appropriate legal standard, for when and how Texas law-enforcement agencies should submit Suspicious Activity Reports.

Order No. 3 Within sixty days of this order, the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement shall make training available to educate all law-enforcement officers regarding the standards that will be developed pursuant to Order No. 1 and Order No. 2.

Order No. 4 The Department of Public Safety shall create and conduct an initiative to raise public awareness and understanding of how Suspicious Activity Reports are used by law-enforcement agencies to identify potential mass shooters or terroristic threats, so that the general public and friends, family members, coworkers, neighbors, and classmates will be more likely to report information about potential gunmen.

Order No. 5 The Department of Public Safety shall work with the Texas Education Agency and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board on ways to better inform schools, students, staff, and families about the importance of Suspicious Activity Reports and how to initiate that process.

Order No. 6 The Department of Public Safety shall work with local law enforcement, mental-health professionals, school districts, and others to create multidisciplinary threat assessment teams for each of its regions, and when appropriate shall coordinate with federal partners.

Order No. 7 The Department of Public Safety, as well as the Office of the Governor, shall use all available resources to increase staff at all fusion centers in Texas for the purpose of better collecting and responding to Suspicious Activity Reports, and better monitoring and analyzing social media and other online forums, for potential threats.

Order No. 8 Beginning January 1, 2020, all future grant awards from the Office of the Governor to counties shall require a commitment that the county will report at least 90 percent of convictions within seven business days to the Criminal Justice Information System at the Department of Public Safety. By January 1, 2021, such reporting must take place within five business days.

Before the 86th legislative session, Gov. Abbott declared school safety as an emergency item, which led to the passage of several bills on the topic. See our blog post on school safety, part of ATPE’s “New School Year, New Laws” series here on Teach the Vote, for more information on changes coming to school districts this year. For more information on the funding and policy decisions made over the last two years to address school safety, view the governor’s recently released report entitled “Improving School Safety in Texas”.

]]>https://www.teachthevote.org/news/2019/09/05/breaking-news-gov-abbott-issues-executive-orders-in-response-to-shootings/feed/0New School Year, New Laws: Curriculum and Instructionhttps://www.teachthevote.org/news/2019/09/03/new-school-year-new-laws-curriculum-and-instruction/
https://www.teachthevote.org/news/2019/09/03/new-school-year-new-laws-curriculum-and-instruction/#respondTue, 03 Sep 2019 11:00:39 +0000https://www.teachthevote.org/news/?p=21114When the 86th Texas Legislature convened for its 2019 regular session, members of the state Senate and House of Representatives focused much of their attention on school finance and school safety. Issues that once held center-stage in a legislative session, like accountability, vouchers, and payroll deduction took a backseat (or weren’t even in the car). However, there were several bills passed this year that will impact teachers’ bread and butter – teaching and learning. In this week’s “New School Year, New Laws” post, we will fill you in on legislative changes impacting curriculum and instruction.

By law, parents are entitled to request that their child be allowed to take home instructional materials. Districts and charter schools must honor this request. However, in some cases, those instructional materials are online and the parents do not have the appropriate technology at home to access them. In this event, HB 391 dictates that the district or charter school provide the materials in print, which could be printouts of the relevant electronic materials. This law became effective immediately upon its passage.

Technology applications is part of the “enrichment curriculum” offered by school districts. HB 2984 directs the State Board of Education (SBOE) to revise the grades K-8 Texas essential knowledge and skills (TEKS) for technology applications, specifically by adding in curriculum standards for coding, computer programming, computational thinking, and cybersecurity. The SBOE must complete this task by Dec. 31, 2020, so be on the lookout for information from ATPE about opportunities to participate in the process and provide public comment.

HB 3012 by Rep. James Talarico (D-Round Rock): Providing instruction to students who are suspended

Most teachers have probably experienced what happens when a student is placed in either in-school or out-of-school suspension (ISS/OSS). The student often comes back to the classroom having missed days or weeks of instruction that can be hard to make up. HB 3012 requires districts to provide suspended students with an alternative means of accessing all “foundation curriculum” or core coursework (math, science, English language arts, and social studies). The district must also provide at least one option for receiving the coursework that doesn’t require access to the Internet. Whether or not this requirement for providing coursework will trickle down to the individual teacher level is still unclear. This bill became effective immediately.

HB 4310 by Rep. Harold Dutton (D- Houston): Time for scope and sequence

HB 4310 applies to the scope and sequence created by districts for foundation curricula. Under the new law, a district must ensure sufficient time for teachers to teach and students to learn the TEKS in a given scope and sequence. Additionally, a district cannot penalize a teacher who determines that their students need more or less time and thus doesn’t follow the scope and sequence. However, the law does say that a district can take action with respect to teachers who don’t follow the scope and sequence if there is documented evidence of a deficiency in their classroom instruction. This law became effective immediately.

The gifted and talented (G/T) allotment was eliminated in this year’s big school finance bill, HB 3, but the requirement that school districts provide G/T programming did not go away. When HB 3 was heard by the House Public Education and Senate Education committees, many parents and students testified on the importance of keeping gifted and talented programming and urged lawmakers to maintain the allotment. In response, Chairman Huberty and other lawmakers explained that funding for G/T through the allotment has been capped at 5% of average daily attendance, even though a district may actually enroll more than 5% of its students in G/T programs. As a result, every district essentially received the maximum amount possible. HB 3 rolls this amount into the new basic allotment as the mechanism for funding G/T, rather than having a stand-alone allotment.

To quell fears that G/T programs might disappear along with the allotment, HB 3 states that districts must provide a G/T program consistent with the state plan for G/T and must annually certify to the commissioner of education their compliance with the law. If a district does not comply, the state will revoke its funding in an amount calculated using the same formula for the old G/T allotment. The bill also requires districts to comply with the use of G/T funds as outlined in State Board of Education (SBOE) rule.

HB 4205 was originally introduced as a bill to allow a campus in Midland ISD to be repurposed by a nonprofit entity while maintaining the same student population. As the bill made its way through the legislative process, it was expanded beyond Midland ISD and amended to include language from Senate Bill (SB) 1412 by Sen. Charles Perry (R-Lubbock) regarding accelerated campus excellence (ACE) plans. ACE is a campus turnaround option that prescribes personnel, compensation, and programming decisions meant to improve student performance. A last-stage amendment also added a requirement that personnel decisions under a school’s ACE turnaround plan must be made using a value-added model (VAM) for determining instructional effectiveness. After this change was made, which ATPE opposed, the House unfortunately voted to concur in the Senate amendments and the bill was signed by the Governor.

Under the final version of HB 4205 as passed, at least 60 percent of teachers assigned to the campus must have demonstrated instructional effectiveness during the previous school year. For teachers who taught in the same district in the prior year, this effectiveness standard is to be determined by classroom observation and assessing the teacher’s impact on student growth using VAM based on at least one student assessment instrument selected by the district. For teachers who did not teach in the district the previous year, instructional effectiveness will be determined by data and other evidence indicating that if the teacher had taught in the district, they would have been ranked among the top half of teachers there. Teacher pay under this type of plan must include a three-year commitment to provide “significant incentives” to compensate high-performing principals and teachers.

In the 2019-20 school year, the ACE provisions in HB 4205 will only apply to one district that received an unacceptable rating for 2017-18, as chosen by the commissioner of education. In 2020-21, the ACE option under HB 4205 will open up to all districts that have been required to complete a campus turnaround plan.

There are many aspects of this new law that ATPE opposes, which we expressed to lawmakers through oral testimony and written input on SB 1412 and HB 4205as they were moving through the legislative process earlier this year. Our opposition was based on the following formal positions that have been adopted by ATPE members:

ATPE opposes the use of student performance, including test scores, as the primary measure of a teacher’s effectiveness, as the determining factor for a teacher’s compensation, or as the primary rationale for an adverse employment action.

ATPE believes students’ state-level standardized test scores should not be a component of teacher evaluations until such time as they can be validated through a consensus of independent research and peer review for that purpose.

ATPE opposes the use of value-added modeling or measurement (VAM) at the individual teacher level for teacher evaluation purposes or decisions about continued employment of teachers. (Learn more about our VAM concerns here.)

ATPE supports incorporating measures of student growth at the campus level or higher into evaluations of educators as long as the measures are developed with educator input, piloted, and deemed statistically reliable.

ATPE opposes incentive or performance pay programs unless they are designed in an equitable and fair manner as determined by educators on a campus basis.

Your ATPE Governmental Relations team will be monitoring these pieces of legislation as they are implemented.

Next Monday, we will continue ATPE’s “New School Year, New Laws” series here on Teach the Vote with a post on assessment-related bills passed during the 2019 legislative session.

On Wednesday, Gov. Greg Abbott issued a new report lauding efforts aimed at “Improving School Safety in Texas.” The school safety update details recent legislative and administrative actions taken, including the approval of 17 new laws and $339 million in state funding. Additionally, the report highlights a 37% increase in the number of teachers and school resource officers (SROs) being trained in mental health first aid; improvements to communications between various state agencies that deal with school safety issues; and new authority for charter schools to hire security personnel. Read more about the new report in this blog post from ATPE Senior Lobbyist Monty Exter.

Also this week, ATPE’s lobbyists posted the second installment of our “New School Year, New Laws” blog series here on Teach the Vote with a look at school safety legislation. Check out Monday’s blog post by ATPE Lobbyist Andrea Chevalier to learn more about bills that were passed during the 2019 legislative session to address safety issues such as student mental health, school marshals, and school preparedness for emergencies and traumas. Next week we’ll be posting an update on new laws pertaining to curriculum and instruction.

A product of the 85th Texas Legislature, Senate Bill 1882 that was passed in 2017 allows public schools that are at risk of being shut down to partner with charter schools for turnaround initiatives. In the recently released “A-F” accountability grades for school districts and campuses, seven of the 12 public school campuses that have partnered with charters or nonprofits received an “F” rating.

While it may be too soon to draw conclusions about the effectiveness of the partnerships, and there are serious questions about the utility of the A-F system, the accountability ratings offer an early glimpse at how the partnership program is working. Our friend Aliyya Swaby at the Texas Tribune wrote about the findings in this article republished on our Teach the Vote blog this week.

We’ve reached that point in the year when campaign announcements are coming out practically every day. Find out which legislators have announced their re-election bids in our latest election update from ATPE Lobbyist Mark Wiggins. This week Mark offers insights on the districts where contested races are shaping up and highlights new resources available from the Texas Educators Vote coalition. Read the newest election news roundup here.

The Texas Education Agency (TEA) continues its “HB 3 in 30” video series with two new video presentations uploaded this week. The latest entries in the series highlight funding changes under this year’s major school finance and reform bill for charter schools and Gifted and Talented programs. View the HB 3 video resources here.